Well, I wont be trying that again any time soon!

I have the Kyosho Stratus 1600 Electric Glider. I don't like electrics so I put a Wasp .061 RC on it but I wanted to make it a sort of Speed Demon so I put a .25 on it. Well, the plane was FAST to say the least!!! So then, as if I hadn't already done enough to the poor plane I dicided to get a telescope and track the plane while my friend flew it and see how high it would go. It only has a 6oz tank so it would probably only get to around 10,000ft before she died. But, It climbs like the Devil if you know what I mean. It'll go up at about 50mph at a 65 deg angle so it gets away from you quite quick. It'll actually go straight up forever if you let it. It cirtainly has enough power. Well, I had it in my sights and then my friend lost it cause it was just to small to see anymore. I tracked it for about 45 sec and then lost it when he pulled it back around. The telescope only has about a 10 deg FOV and the plane at that altitude took up 20% of the circle so it was VERY HARD to keep it in view so it didn't take much to loose it cause once you loose it it's like hunting for a needle in a haystack ( Ya right)! So after I lost it I quickly jumped up and grabbed the controls and gave it full left rudder (it has no ailerons) so it would just dive down doing circles and I hoped I would be able to see the reflection of the sun off the wing as it circled down. I have let it go up into the clouds before and let it climb for about 20 sec into the cloud and then just did the same thing and it always came out right about where I thought it would. Well, no clouds today and it was about twice as high and NOT STRAIGHT UP like before. It was at about a 65 deg angle up and to the north. So anyways, I gave it left rudder and expect it to appear after about 20 sec. Well, a min goes by and NOTHING. Can't see a DAMN THING! I say to my friend, "Well, I think it would have been in sight by now, or on the ground". So anyways, that was about a $300 MISTAKE. I knew I took that risk but thought for sure I'd be able to see it as it came down since it got closer to me. Well, NOT SO!
OOPS!!!

Equipment Lost:
(3) Micro servos: $22.99 each
(1) R127DF Futaba reciever: $50.00
(1) Crystal: $16.00
(1) Kyosho Stratus 1600: $99.00
(1) Battery Pack: $15.00
(1) O.S. .25 FP: $48.00
(1) 6oz Gas Tank: $5.00
TOTAL = $301.97

I'm going to get the video system for my Cub in about 3 weeks so I'm going to fly over the area with the camera pointed down and perhaps I'll be able to review the tape a couple of times and find out where it is. But then again it is VERY small even from 500 ft so I doubt I'll ever find it.

if you try that again you might want to think about a small radio system! you could actually do it without a ham license, just get a cheap frs radio and gut it down to just the board, and get/make a directional antenna for a hand held scanner on your end.

Ya, that would be a VERY good idea. I really should have waited till I had another spotter but....... Well I just didn't want to. Oops.
Do you know anywhere I can get one of the frs radios?

Regards,
Bryan